Rail-joint



(No Model.)

W. D.' JONES.

Y RAIL JOIN'L No. 554,602. Patented Feb. 11', 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM D. JONES, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,602, dated February 11, 1896. Application filed .Tune 3, 1895. Serial No. 551,545. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. JoNEs, of Homestead, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Rail-Joint, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved means for detachably securing together the ends of railroad-track rails, and has for its objects to provide a novel simple rail-joint which will be very convenient to apply, will be reliable in service, be adapted for ready removal when rails of a track are to be displaced for repairs, and that will be comparatively inexpensive to produce.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

' in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a side view of the adjacent portions of two track-rails and the improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the improvement as applied, taken on the line 3 3 in Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of a track-rail and the improvement applied to said rail and to two iish-plates of a form differing from those shown in Fig. 2.

The improvement is adapted for use in connection with track-rails of the ordinary T-rail pattern and which are indicated at lO in Fig. l and other views of the drawings. Two lishplates are supplied for each joint, which plates may have angle-flanges at their bases, as shown in Fig. 4, or preferably -be produced without flanges, as represented at ll in Figs. 2 and 3. The improved means for detachably securing the pair of fish-plates l1 on the webs of two meeting ends of aligned track-rails 10 consist of clamps, such as l2. (Plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 4.)

It is preferred to employ two of the clamps l2 for each rail end, and as represented the said clamps are each formed of a billet of cylindric metal having a suitable diameter and length, the end portions of the billet being bent to provide two similar short limbs 12a,

which project at the same side of the cylindric body and are preferably made to diverge slightly.

The webs of the rails 10 are each 'horizontally perforated at two points, producing circular apertures l0, which are adapted to loosely receive the clamps 12, all the apertures being slightly larger than are the limbs 12 of the clamps, so that any one of the clamps may be freely slid endwise through said apertures 10n and then be rocked therein. The fish-plates l1 are of like form, and each has its side that engages with the web of the rails 10 made to conform therewith, as indicated in Fig. 2, and at points which will locate them below the apertures l0, similar projections being provided for each clamp l2. The iish -plates 1l have slotted apertures formed in them, as shown at 11b, these apertures being of a width equal to the diameter of the apertures 10, and are so spaced apart that when two of said lish-plates are located directly opposite on the webs of adjacent rail ends lO the slots 1lb and apertures 10a in the rails and plates will register and permit the clamps 12 to be passed through the same.

Each projection 11a is horizontally grooved in its outer face at a suitable point, and said faces on all the projections slope from like side edges toward opposite side edges, so as to laterally incline these faces of the projections toward the longitudinal centers of the fish-plates, or, in other words, toward the joint between two meeting rail ends, when the improvements are applied thereto. The outer face of each slotted projection lla also inclines upward and inward, or toward the level face of the fish-plate above the projection. Hence it will be evident that if a pair of iishplates are in position on two adjacent rail-end portions lO a clamp, such as l2, may be inserted in one of the horizontal apertures of the fish-plates and perforations in the rail and be rocked over two of the projections 11a.

For efficient service it is essential that the length of the similar clamps l2 be so proportioned tothe joint thickness of the rail-web and two applied fish-plates that the slightlydiverging limbs 12L will require force applied laterally to rock the said limbs onto the laterally-inclined faces of the projections lla, iirst IOO engaging the lowest edge of the latter. To facilitate this operation and afford a sufficient bearing for the limbs of the clamps on the faces of the projections they engage, said limbs may be, and preferably are, flattened on the sides that ride on the projections, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and if the parts are correctly proportioned, when the clamps 12, provided to clamp a pair of the fish-plates 11 on the rail ends 10, are rocked so that their limbs are in a vertical depending position, as shown at the left side in Fig. 1, the fish-plates will be tightly clamped on the rails.

'lo prevent the clamps 12 from riding back toward the lower edge of the projections 11,

, and so become loosened in service, it is preferred to employ a spring latch-piece 13, one being furnished for each clamp. The similar latch-pieces 13 each consist of an elastic metal strip or plate having a latch-hook 13@ formed on the end that in use lies nearest the lower side edge of the projection 11, and the width of the spring-plate permits it to play freely in the flat-bottomed groove of said projection.

There is a preferably rectangular orifice formed in each latch-piece at its end opposite from that having th e hook on it, and, as shown, said orifice 13b is adapted to interlock with the rectangular head of a stud 14 that projects from the side of the fishplate near the highest side edge of the projection 11, this locking engagement being completed when the head of the stud is passed through the longer diameter of the orifice in the latchpiece, and the latter is then rocked so as to be over the groove of the projection 11, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. The rounded ends of each pair of the slotted apertures in the plates 1l should be located at the terminations of said apertures which are farthest from the ends of the fish-plates wherein they are formed, which form the relative position of the projections 11n, and direction of inclination given to the outer faces of the latter will adapt the clamps in pairs for receiving rotatable movement in opposite directions or toward the end of each trackrail joined together by the pair of fish-plates, which 4adjustment of parts will prevent the fish-plates from longitudinal movement when clamped against the rails.

Each projection 11" has an abutment or cross-wall l1c formed or secured between it and theadjaeent stud 14, these abutments affording fulcrums whereon the latch-pieces 13 may rest and be supported above each groove of the projections, so that when the clamps 12 are rocked toward the latch-hooks 13 the latch-pieces 13 will elastically yield at these engaged ends and be depressed, occupying the grooves while the clamp-limbs are passing Vover the hooks mentioned, the latches 13 then resuming normal shape and holding the hooks against the iiat sides of the limbs 12a, thus preventing the latter from being rocked backward for release.

vrectly the ends Vhen it is desired to remove the iish-plates, it can be done easily if the ends of the latchpieces 13 are held depressed sufficiently to allow the limbs of the clamps 12 to receive a backward rocking movement, or in direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1, so that the clamps, after receiving part of a revolution, will have their limbs aligned with the apertures in the rails and {ish-plates, which will permit their removal in an obvious manner.

In Fig. et the fish-plates are shown having a flange projecting at an angle from the upright portions of the same, these flanges l1c having contact with the top of the rail-base, and it will be seen that if the length of the limbs on the clamps 12 is proportioned corof said limbs will not interfere with the flanges 11e. Should 'it be found necessary in some eases, however, there may be shallow recesses produced in the flanges mentioned, directly below the clamps, so that the ends of the limbs 2n may be freely rocked and have clearance from the flanges 11. Should it be preferred, but one of the improved fish-plates and a common fish-plate may be used, and be located oppositely at a rail-joint for the clamped connection of the ends of two adjoining rails, the same clamps being employed, but in a slightly-modified form, to permit one limb of each clamp to merely press on the common fish-plate, while the other limb effects a clamped connection of parts.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1-. In a rail-joint, the combination, with transversely-apertured rails and iish-`plates, said plates having projections, sloped on their faces and grooved in `said faces, of clamps passed through the aligned apertures in the rails and {ish-plates and having slightly-di verging limbs and spring lateh'pieces on the fish-plates adapted to detachably lock the limbs of the clamps, substantially as described.

2. In a rail-joint, the combination, with" rails apertured in their webs, of apertured slrplates having projections below the apertures therein, said projections being sloped vertically and laterally on their outer faces, bent clamps having slightly-diverging limbs adapted to ride on the inclined faces of the projections on the fish-plates, and elastic latch-pieces each having one end located on the 'flsh-plate, and furnished witha latch-hook at the other lend adapted to detachablyinterlock with a limb of the clamp, substantially as specified.

3. In a rail-joint, rails having circular apertures, and fish-plates having oblong apertures, and also having projections near said apertures, which projections are sloped on their outer faces and grooved in said faces, clamps each bent from a cylindrical billet, producing two limbs extending nearly paral- IOO IIO

IZO

A lel and in the same direction, which limbs main portion, and a spring on each fish-plate and respectively co-operating With the limbs, substantially as described.

5. The combination of two fish-plates having aligned apertures, a clamp rockable in said apertures and having an angularly-disposed limb, and a spring-catch on one of the sh-plates and capable of holding the limb in engagement therewith, substantially as described.

WILLIAM D. JONES. Vitnesses:

LEANDER TRAUTMAN, CHAs. SCHLEGEL. 

